Author Topic: When to stop feeding ewes concentrates? (Read 3061 times)

Hillview Farm · « **on:** May 01, 2013, 05:44:47 pm »

How many weeks afterl ambing untill I can stop feeding concentrates? They are out on quite good grass but obviously I worry about the ewes drying up. The oldest lambs are 4 weeks and youngest 2 and a half weeks!

Marches Farmer · « **Reply #1 on:** May 01, 2013, 05:53:11 pm »

What sort of condition are the ewes in? If good and the grazing's good I generally tail off once the youngest is around 3 weeks. (Our lambing period is 3 weeks.) This year it's been 4 weeks as the grass has been so slow to get going.

Hillview Farm · « **Reply #2 on:** May 01, 2013, 06:00:22 pm »

I'd say they are spot on condition wise. I'll give them another few weeks then start to reduce the amount. Thank you

FiB · « **Reply #3 on:** May 01, 2013, 07:42:28 pm »

thank you from me too - that was going to be one of my next questions!!!

funkyfish · « **Reply #4 on:** May 03, 2013, 06:24:08 am »

Read an interesting article on feeding ewes. Many people stop concentrates at 3-4 weeks, but this is the time of peak milk flow so they really need hard feed to support them. There can be a problem with teat damage due to hungry lambs suckling too hard to get the milk so more risk of mastitis etc. The article suggested feeding for 6-8 weeks post lambing.

SteveHants · « **Reply #5 on:** May 03, 2013, 09:02:12 am »

When the grass starts growing.

This season aside (given the nature of 2012 and spring 2013), unless you have loads of sheep per acre there really is no need to be feeding concs after the grass starts growing (usually march round here, but I guess april/may the further north you go).

lachlanandmarcus · « **Reply #6 on:** May 03, 2013, 09:37:39 am »

I feed a little bit for the first couple of weeks if the weather is horrid or there's no grass, otherwise they don't get anything, but they are Shetlands so a low maintenance doodle anyway lamb wise :-))

Stanlamb · « **Reply #7 on:** May 04, 2013, 08:51:22 am »

We're still feeding. Half our ewes lambed in January, the rest at the end of March. Still getting 2lb per head daily but the lambs are obviously tucking in. We have had absolutely no growth until a fortnight ago. Starting to come now but oh so slowly. Feed has cost a fortune this year but once the feed I have in now is finished, we're buying no more!